(GTSGIR) Ch 2: 20 Years Ago, The Vision That Showed The End

(20 Years Later) 

The smell of sizzling eggs and spiced sausage filled the kitchen, mixing with the rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee. Gunner hummed to himself as he flipped a pancake on the griddle, the golden surface crisping just right. He had perfected this recipe over the years—fluffy cloud cakes, lightly dusted with cinnamon, served with honey-drizzled pork belly and eggs scrambled with a hint of rosemary.

Breakfast of champions.

He reached for a plate, piling it high with food, when he felt a pair of arms wrap around his waist.

His smile widened. He didn't need to turn around to know who it was.

"And a good morning to you, Ara," he said, tilting his head slightly.

"Morning, Daddy." Arabella's voice was soft, warm—just like it had been every morning since she was old enough to reach his waist. Even at 25, she still clung to the habit of giving him his morning hug.

She let go and grabbed a cup of coffee, taking a deep sip before settling at the table. "Mmm. Smells amazing."

Gunner chuckled as he slid her plate in front of her. "Of course it does. I made it."

Before she could answer, the sound of soft footsteps approached. Gunner glanced up just in time to see his second daughter, Solace, shuffle into the kitchen.

Wearing nothing but her green underwear and an oversized white t-shirt.

"Sol!" Arabella nearly choked on her coffee. "For God's sake, put some damn clothes on!"

Solace winced, rubbing her eyes. "Could you not yell? I just woke up."

She let out a sleepy yawn, her messy dark hair sticking up in places, before looking over at her dad. With a lazy wave, she mumbled, "Morning, Dad."

Gunner walked over, kissed the top of her head, and set her plate down in front of her. "Morning, sweetheart."

Solace gave him a tired smile before sitting down, already poking at her food with her fork.

Gunner grabbed the last plate and sighed. "Alright, I'm gonna go wake up Cassidy before her food gets cold."

Arabella rolled her eyes. "Dad, you spoil her too much. She's a grown woman."

Gunner just grinned as he walked toward the hallway. "Can't help it."

Cassidy's door was closed, as expected. Gunner gave it a few knocks before opening it.

And immediately sighed.

The covers were on the floor. The room was a mess—clothes thrown over furniture, books stacked in a chaotic pile near her bed. And there, sprawled across the mattress in all her glory, was Cassidy.

Completely naked.

Gunner shook his head. He should've been used to this by now.

Stepping forward, he gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "Cass," he said softly. "Time to wake up."

She groaned, shifting slightly. "Mmm... the princess... can only be awakened... by a kiss."

Gunner let out a long sigh. "Cass."

Nothing.

Rolling his eyes, he bent down, scooped her up in his arms, and lifted her off the bed.

Cassidy's lips puckered dramatically, her eyes still shut. "A real kiss," she mumbled.

Gunner smirked and kissed her forehead instead.

Cassidy cracked one eye open, then pouted. "Oh, come on..."

Gunner lowered her back down to the bed, shaking his head. "Breakfast is ready. Get dressed."

Cassidy huffed, crossing her arms as she sat on the mattress. "I want you to dress me."

Before Gunner could respond, there was a thundering of footsteps.

Arabella and Solace burst into the room, both looking appalled.

"Cass, seriously?!" Arabella threw up her hands.

"You cannot keep acting like this in front of Dad!" Solace added.

Cassidy smirked, stretching lazily. "Oh relax, it's just Dad. Not like he's some stranger."

"That's not the point!"

Gunner watched from the back, arms crossed, a smile playing on his lips as his daughters bickered. Even after all these years, they hadn't changed much.

And as they argued, he found his mind drifting—back to the day that changed his life forever.

***

(Flashback)

Chapter Three: The Day Everything Changed

The waiting room smelled like burnt coffee and stale paper. The overhead lights buzzed faintly, flickering every so often, giving the whole place a slightly eerie feel. Gunner sat in a stiff metal chair, tapping his fingers against the armrest as he stared at the cracked tile floor.

Across from him stood Agent Darnell, a high-ranking officer of the Enforcers—the authoritative group responsible for handling all supernatural crimes and incidents involving Emissaries. They weren't the police. They were something above that.

And right now, Darnell was looking at Gunner like he was a puzzle missing half its pieces.

"Let me get this straight," Darnell said, flipping through a thin file in his hands. "You found three unidentified infants. In the center of a crater. In the aftermath of what we believe was a spacial anomaly?"

"That about sums it up," Gunner replied.

Darnell sighed, rubbing his temples. "Christ." He tossed the file onto the desk. "Alright. Here's what we know. A few minutes before the impact, our satellites detected a brief but massive spike in energy. We're talking planetary-level readings. The beam that hit Earth wasn't an attack—it was more like an opening. A... tear in space."

Gunner frowned. "A tear?"

Darnell nodded. "We don't know what caused it, but something broke through. And whatever it was, it left behind a signature unlike anything we've ever seen. That's why we're investigating."

Gunner let that sink in. He knew better than to doubt the Enforcers—they had access to tech and knowledge beyond normal civilians. If they said something otherworldly had happened, it had to be true.

Still...

His thoughts drifted back to the crater. The glowing red light. The babies.

For all the destruction around them, the three children had been untouched. Not a single scratch. No burns. No bruises. Just... there.

Like they belonged.

He leaned forward, lacing his fingers together. "Did you find their parents?"

Darnell exhaled through his nose. "Not yet. We ran every database check, facial recognition scan, even Emissary genetic tracing. Nothing. It's like they don't exist."

A strange feeling twisted in Gunner's gut. He shouldn't care. Shouldn't be this interested. The Enforcers would figure it out. That's what they did. But something in his gut—some deep, unshakable instinct—needed to see them again.

"If it's alright," Gunner said carefully, "I'd like to see them."

Darnell gave him a look. "Why?"

"I... don't know," Gunner admitted. "I just do."

The Enforcer studied him for a long moment, then shrugged. "Fine. Follow me."

***

The observation room was simple. White walls. A few chairs. A small security camera in the corner.

And in the center of the floor, surrounded by colorful plastic blocks and stuffed animals, were the three children.

They were playing, giggling as they knocked over towers and crawled over one another. Completely unaware of the chaos they had caused.

Then, as if sensing him, they turned.

The moment they saw Gunner, their faces lit up.

A chorus of excited baby noises filled the room as they scrambled toward him, tiny hands reaching out. Gunner felt a grin stretch across his face before he even realized it.

"Hey there, little ones." He crouched down, watching as they crawled into his arms. One of them—a girl with striking silver eyes—clutched his shirt, babbling nonsense. Another one, a boy, clung to his leg, while the third simply sat in front of him, staring up with wide, curious eyes.

It was such a simple, innocent moment.

And then—

It hit him.

A vision. A nightmare.

His mind was no longer in the room. He was somewhere else.

The Earth was screaming.

Mountains shattered like glass, torn from the ground by unseen hands. The oceans—entire oceans—were lifted into the sky, funneled into massive, incomprehensible lips that drank them dry. Above, fingers—godly, unfathomable fingers—broke through the clouds, touching the planet's surface.

And with a mere touch, the world crumbled.

Cities collapsed. Lands splintered. Billions of lives—gone in an instant.

And standing amidst the carnage, untouched and unbothered—

Were them.

The three children.

Their eyes glowed. Their forms—small, innocent—stood at the center of the apocalypse.

And then—

It was over.

Gunner gasped, his breath ragged as he snapped back to reality. He was still kneeling on the floor, the children clinging to him.

Except now—his hands were trembling.

He looked down at their faces. Still smiling. Still so innocent.

And yet, he knew.

These children.

They were not normal.

They were something else. Something powerful.

Something terrifying.

But...

As he looked into their bright, beaming faces, something stirred in his chest. Something that wasn't just fear.

It was something deeper.

Something unshakable.

Gunner swallowed hard, his voice barely above a whisper.

"These babies..." He hesitated, heart pounding. "I... I think—" He took a breath, steadying himself.

"I think I want to adopt them."

Darnell's head snapped toward him. "What?"

Gunner blinked, as if only just realizing what he had said. But the words were already out there. And the more he thought about them, the more right they felt.

He looked down again.

At these three children who had no names. No past. No parents.

And deep in his soul, he knew—

They were his now.